I bought it the day after thanksgiving from menards. there's a thread around here somewhere about that. It's my backup saw. 45cc 20" bar.
Well, went out to use it for the first time today. it started great, ran great, but could barely pull the low kickback chain through the wood without losing some major RPMs even with barely any weight put to the bar.
When i first started using it I was thinking it was pretty awesome, then for a reality check I started up the Stihl and got the slap that i needed as a reminder what a real saw feels like. I'm not sure what the RPMs are on this cheapo saw, but they seem to be pretty low compared to my 028. The 20" bar is way overkill for this saw, it works, but only barely. I think it would be a great 16" saw. I think I might be able to do a skip on that 20" bar to make it a little better, but then i'm digging out bigger chunks with a full chisel, so it might be a wash.
Longevity is what i worry about. its plastic is decent, but that's just the problem, there is a lot of plastic. Who knows how well the engine will hold up, and when it dies, i don't know what i'll do for parts.
All-in-all. I consider this to be a better running (and made) saw than some poulans i've seen out of the box, but unlike a poulan there aren't a million "parts saws" out there.
I know that many people here probably don't care about this review, but it's my backup saw, and i know someone else out there will have an opportunity to buy one on the cheap, or maybe just bought one too. for under $100 i consider it well worth the money. i'll be sure to report back if I change my mind (just used it for about 20 minutes to make some noodles and cut some smallish logs)
Well, went out to use it for the first time today. it started great, ran great, but could barely pull the low kickback chain through the wood without losing some major RPMs even with barely any weight put to the bar.
When i first started using it I was thinking it was pretty awesome, then for a reality check I started up the Stihl and got the slap that i needed as a reminder what a real saw feels like. I'm not sure what the RPMs are on this cheapo saw, but they seem to be pretty low compared to my 028. The 20" bar is way overkill for this saw, it works, but only barely. I think it would be a great 16" saw. I think I might be able to do a skip on that 20" bar to make it a little better, but then i'm digging out bigger chunks with a full chisel, so it might be a wash.
Longevity is what i worry about. its plastic is decent, but that's just the problem, there is a lot of plastic. Who knows how well the engine will hold up, and when it dies, i don't know what i'll do for parts.
All-in-all. I consider this to be a better running (and made) saw than some poulans i've seen out of the box, but unlike a poulan there aren't a million "parts saws" out there.
I know that many people here probably don't care about this review, but it's my backup saw, and i know someone else out there will have an opportunity to buy one on the cheap, or maybe just bought one too. for under $100 i consider it well worth the money. i'll be sure to report back if I change my mind (just used it for about 20 minutes to make some noodles and cut some smallish logs)
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